This invention relates in general to hauling and cutting equipment and in particular to a new and useful combination of a trough conveyor and a cutting machine which is driven by a chain wheel which engages in a sprocket which extends along the length of one side of the conveyor and to an improved construction of chain links for such conveyors.
The invention relates in particular to hauling and cutting equipment having a cutting machine or similar winning machine bridging the conveyor trough of a conveyor, in particular a chain scraper conveyor, in portal fashion. The drive is disposed on the stowage side and comprises at least one chain wheel engaging in a round-link chain, the round-link chain being arranged in a runner rail profile with engagement grooves for the chain wheel of a base frame connected to the trough wall of the conveyor on the stowage side, and extending in lengthwise direction of the conveyor.
A chain scraper conveyor with a cutting train chain conduction is known where a plate link chain is used as a drive chain for the chain wheel. This is disadvantageous in several respects. As is known, a plate link chain consists of only horizontal links where the plate links are connected together through hinge pins. Such a plate link chain is movable in one plane only, namely, in a horizontal arrangement, in the vertical plane only. Horizontal arrangement is necessary in a cutting train chain conduction so that the chain wheel can engage into the plate link chain from above. This mobility reduced to only one, namely the vertical plane is, however, insufficient in a chain scraper conveyor, because a chain scraper conveyor travels regularly not only through depressions and saddles, but frequently also through curves. In a curved path, however, inflections necessarily occur in the horizontal plane between the individual trough sections. A plate link chain, however, cannot follow such inflections for the above-mentioned reasons. Besides, inflections in the horizontal plane between the trough sections occur in principle also as the chain scraper conveyor is being moved. It must always be provided that the drive chain can follow the curved and in part sharply bent path of the chain scraper conveyor. With a plate link chain this is practically impossible. Consequently, perfect engagement of the chain wheel at the winning machine is not ensured at least when the path of the chain scraper conveyor is curved.
To avoid these disadvantages, a form of construction has become known wherein the drive chain is formed as a round link chain and whose horizontal links are guided with slight vertical and horizontal movement play and the vertical links with large vertical and horizontal movement play in a hollow profile. Thereby the drive chain is given a flexibility such that it exceeds by adaptability in horizontal as well as in a vertical plane to the chain scraper conveyor or respectively the hollow profile intended for the chain conduction. In fact, the flexibility of the round-link chain is maintained even when the horizontal links are guided with extremely little movement play, while the movement play of the vertical links remain practically unlimited. Actually there results thereby between each horizontal and vertical link a vertical and horizontal articulated axle. It is, therefore, entirely immaterial in which transitional regions from trough section to trough section the chain scraper conveyor flexes or buckles as it passes through curves or as it is being moved. The round-link chain, as a drive chain, can always adapt itself to this inflection because of its vertical and horizontal articulated axle existing right there. Some problems will arise, however, when because of the relatively large movement play between the horizontal links and the vertical links the links of the round-link chain pull away from and pushing into one another.
Pulling of the links away from and pushing into one another can occur, for example, when the chain scraper conveyor is being used in steep or semi-steep suspension, so that the links will slip at an inclination in excess of the self-locking. But also for other reasons a pulling of the links away from and pushing into one another cannot be ruled out. Then, however, a division correct engagement between the chain wheel and the round-link chain is no longer ensured, and in addition, an angle bend of the trough sections in the region at least of the expanded links is possible only in limited extent. When the engagement between chain wheel and round-link chain is disturbed, it often happens that the tooth of the chain wheel following the engagement does not bear temporarily, while disengagement at the last tooth in engagement is impaired, so that the round-link chain suffers and considerable tooth stress occurs, requiring increased driving power for the chain wheel.